Card-record desk



E. OHNSTRAND CARD RECORD DESK Dec, 30, 1930..

5. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec.

fave/Libr J Dec. 30, Y1930. E. OHNSTRAND 1,786,628

. CARD RECORD DESK Filed Dec. 5, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 E, OHNSTRAND 1,786,628

CARD RECORD DESK Filed Deo. 5, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet Dec. 30, 1930.

al o Z M v f@ sm, Y am Q Dec. 30, 1930. EL oHNsTRAND 1,786,628

CARD RECORD DESK Filed Dec. 5, 192.4 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 C7337. 6 aw Patented Een.. 39, 193@ T'l' PATENT OFFECE ENOGH OHNSTRAND, OF MOHAWK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

' TO REMINGTON RAND NC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE rlhis invention relates to ledger or card record desks employed for ling cards7 such as insurance records, stock records, order lists, etc. which are constantly in use and must '5 be kept within convenient reach of a user, and objects of the invention are to provide a ledger desk constructed of a number of separable units which may be detachably connected to each other to increase or diminish the size of the desk; and to provide a new and improved record desk having the unique features of construction and arrangement hereinafter described.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the ledger' desk Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section on the line 6--6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a detail section showing the joint between the reenforcing rails of adjacent sections Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the joint shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a perspective of the upper portion of one of the legs; and f Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail section on line iowio of rig. c.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a. ledger or card record desk of sheet metal or other suitable material which is made up of card receiving sections or units A, B and C, and although but three such units are shown it is to be understood that the size of the desk may be increased or decreased according to the requirements as will be hereinafter pointed out. To, support the desk pairs of legs D are arranged at each end thereof and a pair of legs E intermediate the ends, longitudinal braces F and cross braces G beingsuitably connected to the lower portions of the legs for providing a sturdy and rigid construction.

CARD-RECORD DESK Application filed December 5, 1924. Serial No. 754,142.

upper margin of which the front wall 2 of the outer shell is folded and iXed as by screwing and a bottom 6 having a downwardly bent lla-nge 7 welded to the front wall 2 of the bottom wall 6.

by rivets.

outer shell, the front wall 5 resting on the The metal of the side walls 8 of the inner shell intermediate the en ds is forced inwardly as by stamping, thereby providing upper and lower shoulders 11 and 10 respectively, and the lower shoulder 10 is iXed as by welding to the bottom 6. The rear ends of the sides 8 are provided with inturned flanges 8L (Fig. 5) which abut against the rear wall 1 of the outer shell and the flanges adjacent the intermediate units are fastened to the rear wall 1 A reenforcing strip 8b or splice plate is secured as by screws to the rear wall 1 to cover the jointbetween the sections. The bottom'end portions of the side walls 8 eX tend below the bottom 6 of the inner shell and are provided with inturned flanges 12 to which the bottom 3 of the outer shell is fastened as by screws. The upper end portions of the side walls S extend upwardly at substantially right-angles as indicated at 13, and secured as by welding and screwing to the shoulder 11 and flange 13 are guide angles 14 and 14'LL forming channels which guide the movement of a flexible metal curtain or apron 15, of the type disclosed in my Patent No. 1,378,976, issued May 24, 1921.

As indicated in Fig. 3 the guide channels 14 extend longitudinally of the units and curve downwardly and inwardly so that the curtain 15 can be moved out of the way or into position Yto cover the open top of the inner shell. A clip 16 is secured to the curtain bar and provided with a downwardly offset end portion adapted to extend into the space formed between the flanges on the upper edges of the outer and inner walls 2 and 5 respectively as shown in Figure El Afor engagen'ient by the bolt of a lock 1GEl for locking the curtain in closed position. A lock 16 is provided on the walls 2 and 5 which locks the curtain rail in position by engagement of the bolt or Inoif'able locking nieniber of this locl with the ol'iset end ot clip 16 when it is positioned between the flanges on the upper edges of walls 2 and 5 in the manner shown in Figure 3. el support-ing member 17 is suitably secured to the rear wall 4 of the inner shell to hold the intermediate portion of the curtain freni sagging; when the. curtain is moved out of use.

Closing,r the outer ends ot the desk are duinmy or false end panels each comprising` an outer wall 18 havingy an inwardly bent 4flange 19 which is removably secured as Vby screws to the rear wall 1 of the outer shell and the flange 8 of the inner shell. The forward part of the wall 18 extends beyond the front wall of the outershell and is formed with a front wall 19a substantially :parallel with the 'wall 2, the end portion of the front wall 19a being bent inwardly to forni a flange 20 which is suitably secured tothe front wall Y2. The upper end portion vot'th'e outer wall 18 is pro-- vided with a` top wall 2()a and a depending wall or flange 21 which extends parallel to the outer wall 18. The curtain guide 14, flange 113 of the side wall 8, and Vinner wall 21 are suitably secured together `as by screws 23 (Fig. 3). The lower end portion. of the outer wall 18 is formed with a bottoni wall 24, and an upstanding inner wall 25 which eX- tends in parallel relation .to the outer wall 18 and is removably secured as by screws tothe side wall 8 oi the inner shell. Formed in the opposite ends of the bottoni wall 24 of the end panels are rectangular holes 26 to receive the supportiifig legs D.

The supportine` legs D are hollow and substantially square in cross-section. As clearly indicated in Fig. 9 each leg` is formed with an integral channel-shaped extension 27, a. ledge 28 beim; provided on the legY so that when the extensions are inserted into the holes 2G in the bottoni wall 24 ot the end panels the flanges 12 on the side walls 8 of the inner shell rest on the ledges. The legs D are securely held in place by screws 29 which extend through the outer wall. 18 of the -false panels, the extension 27 and areeniorcing plate 530 which i fixed as bv welding to the inside of the extension. The intermediate legs E are constructed similarly to the leprs D with the exception oi the extension 27, these legs bri deine; the joint between units B and C and secured to the nieder sine oli these units by angle pieces 31 lined thereto as by screws.

In order further to strengthen and reenorce the construction, rails 32 of channel construction are arranged inside the desk adjacent the front and rear walls. 'lhe reenforcing` rails at the 'forward part of tie desk are screwed to the extension 27 of the legs. Each reentorci-ngrJ rail is provided at right hand end with a splice channel 33, a portion of which is welded thereto `and the remainder projects beyond the end of the rail through an opening' 34 (see Fig. 5) in the side wall 8 oli the `inner shell.

lironi an inspection of Fig. 5 it will be observed `that the proj ectingt,r portion of the plate in the unit B is arranged to extend through an opening 34 in the unit B and an opening 34"'fin the unit `C and overlap theend o a rail 3; in the unit C, the 'overlapping portions being secured together as -by bolts and nuts land. having an additional plate 34 through which the bolts extend for providing rigid joint. rThe opposite `end or the -rail 32 is rigidly fastened to yone side of the leg extension 27 by plates 35, bolts and nuts 36, and screws 37, the plate 35 extendin through holes 38 and '88 in the side wall S-and *the inner wall 25 olf the end panel respectively. It will thus be observed that one end of each -reenforcing .rail is providedwith a plate welded thereto which overlaps the :end of -a-n adjacent 'rail or 'legr extension and in this manner the rails not Vonlystrengthen the structure yof'each Vunit Lbut also reenforce the legs thus to .insure stabili-ty thereof.

ATo provide a finished appearance to the desk lfinishing strips 42 Vare fixed as by screwing to the curtain guide channels 14 and cover the joint rbetween the 'upstandin-gr end `of the side wall 8 and the guide channels. As most clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the forward ends of the strips 42 extend downward- 1ly `over 'the ends of the guide channels 14 so that when the vside walls 8 of adjacent units are drawn together in close juxtaposition by the screws 41 the linishing strips provide substantially a sniooth exterior surface Ileaving no wide gaps.

ln order to provide tight joints at the junctions between units the end walls 8 are preferably secured together along their juwtaposed margins. As shown in Figs. (S and 1() this is accomplished by screws 41 lwhich ei:- tend through the jurtai'iosed llangzjed end walls 8 and also through tlie curtain channels 14. Preferably the screws are applied alternately troni opposite sides with each screw threading' only into the channel. an d end wall on the side opposite its head, thereby drawing the parts Itightly together. rhus cul' alternate holes in each channel and end wall are tapped, the other holes being large enough to clear the screws, and the untapped holes in one channel and end wall register with the tapped holes in the other channel and end wall (Fig. 10). By correspondingly eosi- Cil tioning the tapped holes in the false ends the end curtain channels may be made interchangeable with those at the junctions, in which case the tapped holes in the channels are not used at the ends for the reason that the screws 23 (Fig. 6) can be applied only from the channel side and not from the inside of the false ends. The lower margins of the end walls may also be secured together at the junctions and also to the false ends at the ends of the series by screws 4.1 but this requires the removal or' bottoms 8 to aix the screws and ordinarily is not necessar 1.

Supported above the desk and movable longitudinally thereof across the several units is a posting board or Work table A3 of the type shown and described in my Patent No. 1,872,536, granted March 22, 1921. rilhe posting board is mounted on antifriction rollers and the supports therefor are similar to that described in the said patent. In use this board is moved over the desk to a position convenient to the particular group of cards to be consulted, and the desired informao tion taken from the cards and noted on a memorandum or ledger book supported by the table.

From the foregoing it will be understood that additional units may be added by removing the false end 18 and legs l) at one end of the desk and attaching the additional units in the same manner as units A, B and C are connected, the Jraise end and end legs being replaced at the end of the extended series. It will also be understood that intermediate legs, such as shown at E, by virtue of the reeni'orcing rails 32, are needed only at recurrent junctions, that is, every other junction. The receptacles, when added in end to end relation, will have their side walls in registry, tiat is the edge portions of each side wall S will be in concident relation and the receptacle thereby present the same appearance as if they were constructed in one unit.

It is to be understood that numerous changes in details of construction and arrangement may be eil'ected without departing from the spirit of the invention especially as deiined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A ledger desk comprising' a plurality et' card holding units, each unit comprising an open-top receptacle, reenforcing rails ext-ending across the front and rear of the receptacle,

- rigidly connecting elements on certain of said rails arranged to extend into an opening in the adjacent receptacles and overlap against a rail therein, and means for detachably connecting the abutting portions of said rails.

2. A ledger desk comprising a plurality of receptacles, reenorcing members extending longitudinally inside of said receptacles, a plate iixed to one end of each member arranged to extend through an opening in an adjacent receptacle to overlap a member therein, means for detachably connecting said overlapping portions together', and, means for securely fastening the adjacent sides of said receptacles together, said means comprising screws alternately extending through the side of one` receptacle intothreaded engagement with the other receptacle.

3. A ledger desk comprising a plurality of receptacles arranged with their sides in abutting relation, and means for detachably connecting the abutting ysides of said receptacles together, said means comprising screws alternately extending freely through the side of one receptacle and into threaded engagement with the other receptacle, said screws being arranged in pairs spaced Jfrom adjacent pairs.

4.-. A ledger desk comprising a receptacle, dummy ends for said receptacle having holes in the bottom thereof, legs to support the receptacle having extensions projecting into said holes, ledges on said legs to support a portion of the'receptacle` and means for detachably connecting said extensions to the dummy ends.

5. A ledger desk comprising a receptacle, legs to support the receptacle, channel-shaped extensions on said legs projecting into openings in the base of the receptacle, reenforcing members extending longitudinally of the re ceptacle, means for detachably connecting the central portion of the extensions to one end of the receptacle, and means for detachably connecting one side portion of the extensions to said reenforcing members.

6. A ledger desk comprising a receptacle, dummy ends for said receptacle having holes adjacentthe lower corners thereof, legs for said receptacle, reduced, channel-shaped extensions on said legs projecting into said holes, means for detachably connecting one side of said extensions to said dummy ends, reenforcing rails extending longitudinally of said receptacle, and means for detachably connecting a side portion of the extensions adjacent to said iirst mentioned side to the ends of said rails.

7 A sectional ledger desk, comprising duplicate receptacle units, each unit having the side walls formed for registry in abutting coincident relation with an adjacent unit, means extending transversely of each unit in aligned relation on a series of units having detachable connection for mounting said units in rigid desk forming relation, endA members having registering abuttingV cooperation with the sides of the units at the end of the desk, supporting legs mounted in said end members, and means for attaching said end members and legs to the first men- A.

tioned means.

8. A sectional ledger desk, comprising duplicate receptacle units, each unit having side Walls formed for registry in abutting relation with an adjacent unit, bar members carried by each unit and extending transversely thereof, the bal' members on adj acent units being in aligned relation, means for detachaby connecting the bm' members of ecljacent units for rigidly mounting said units in desk formingr relation, end members applied to the side Walls of the units at the free ends of the desk, legs carried by said end members and means for detach-ably connecting saidend members and legs to said bal members.

Signed by lne at Boston, Mass., this 17th day of October, 1924.

ENOGH OHNSTRAND. 

